Centenary Video

Watch the Videos

As part of our centenary celebrations, we have worked with our partners to create a set of Centenary videos. You can watch the videos, and read about the project.

There are three videos:

"Consett Park Bowling Club 1923-2023" is our Centenary Video, filmed at Consett Park, Barnard Castle and Beamish Museum.

"Castleside Primary Film Making Course" follows the children from Castleside Primary School as they learn film-making skills.

"100 Years of Consett Park Bowling Club" is an irreverent look at three of the Club's founder members.

The Centenary Video Project

Consett Park Bowling Club celebrated its centenary in 2023, and wanted to make the year a special one. In true committee fashion, a sub-committee was set up to make the arrangements. Credit must go to the committee for setting up the sub-committee in good time, towards the end of 2021.

A long list of ideas, both bowling and social, was quickly produced, and early in 2022 provisional arrangements were being made. Matches with Darlington South Park and Barnard Castle were arranged, because of their historical significance, and with Bowls England and Bowls Durham. Contact was made with Beamish Museum, who were working on a new bowling green in their 1950s village, and work started on the History Section of the Club's website.

Social events were organised, including whist drives, which were popular for many years in the early days of the Club, and an Italian Night, which had no historical significance at all, but was fun.

By June 2022, when things were starting to take shape, we were approached by Laura Brenchey, Community Cultural Development Coordinator at Durham County Council. We had previously worked with Laura, who is based in Blackhill and Consett Park, so she knew about the Club and the approaching centenary celebrations. Laura had contacts at a local company called Digital Voice for Communities, who produce videos, and suggested a Centenary Video for the bowling club.

Laura Brenchley

The idea was attractive, particularly because it would involve children from a local school, who would learn filming and interviewing skills. A project like this is expensive, but Julie Nicholson, Managing Director at Digital Voice, was brilliant in sourcing funding from Heritage Lottery Fund. The idea was put to the committee, approval was given, and discussions continued.

You can read about Digital Voice for Communities by visiting their website, where you can also watch some of the other videos they have made. Many are of local interest.

Julie Nicholson

We agreed that three of our events would be filmed - the match against Bowls England, the match at Barnard Castle, and our visit to Beamish Museum, where the school children would do some filming, interviewing and try bowling. The children were from Castleside Primary School and were a credit to their school throughout.

After lots of meetings and emails, everything came together in 2023; even the weather was good. The outcome was our Centenary Video, plus a "Making Of" video, and an irreverent animation about three of the Club's founder members.

The videos were premiered in the club house at Consett Park Bowling Club on Saturday 7th October 2023, and are now publicly available.

Our Video Stars

A big thank you to our members who agreed to be interviewed for the video, along with bowlers from the Bowls England and Barnard Castle teams.

Deepak Tanna, President of Bowls England

Jim Ruddick, President of Consett Park Bowling Club

Teresa Pearson, Vice President of Consett Park Bowling Club

Pamela Snowball, Consett Park Bowling Club

Derek Metcalfe, Consett Park Bowling Club

Alan Platt, Consett Park Bowling Club

Gillian Harle, Barnard Castle Bowling Club

Edna Stokoe, Consett Park Bowling Club

Angela Westray, Bowls England and

Daphne White, Consett Park Bowling Club

Rachel Gibson, Consett Park Bowling Club

Sam Little, Consett Park Bowling Club

Adam Holt, Consett Park Bowling Club

Foster Johnson, Bowls England

The Film in Quotes

"...there will be plenty of sun, and we are going to have plenty of fun, and friendship as well."

"In 1982 ... we got a ladies section and it went from strength to strength."

"...you just forget about all your problems when you're playing bowls."

"I just enjoy it; just get on the green, bowl your woods, have a good conversation."

"It's nip and tuck most of the time... and it gets you out of the house!"

"The future of bowls lies in our own hands. We've got to encourage the kids."

"I honestly believe doctors should write a prescription for the old people - go and have a game of bowls."

"I get out of bed; I'm thinking bowls. I go to bed; can't sleep because I'm thinking bowls, but, for me it is a godsend."

"... always at the bowls; second home. It's the same for a lot of us as well. It's our second home."

"I'm proud of this. 100 years. Yeah."

Filmed on Location

The Centenary Video was filmed at three locations - Consett Park Bowling Club, Barnard Castle Bowling Club, and Beamish Museum.

Consett Park v Bowls England.

A "Spider" preceded the game.

Consett Park - the sun shining through the trees

Barnard Castle Bowling Green is in the grounds of Bowes Museum.

Barnard Castle Bowling Green

Beamish Museum

Bowling Green and Pavilion in the 1950s Village

The Video Partners

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